Tottenham Hotspur have both dazzled and disappointed in different stages of the 2018/19 season, posing the question of whether or not their inactivity in the transfer window has truly been effective.
Mauricio Pochettino is one of the top managers not only in the Premier League but in world football at the moment, and whilst he is yet to claim any silverware with the Lilywhites, his tenure has endeared him to the fans and only strengthened his growing reputation.
Spurs have commenced a new era with the completion of their new stadium, but perhaps it is time for some refreshment on the pitch as well. Their own ‘big four’ in midfield and attack is one of the most potent combinations in the European game, but outside of those stars the team falls some way short of leaping to the next level.
Since Messi, Suarez and Neymar joined forces at Barcelona, the powerhouse trio or quartet up front has become the norm for a top team to compete on multiple fronts, but in each case those teams have at least one other key player elsewhere.
Salah, Mane and Firmino have Virgil van Dijk; MSN had Iniesta and Xavi; Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema had Modric and Ramos. Tottenham need the solid team behind their attacking stars, and it could be time to move one on in order to facilitate it.
Harry Kane is a world class striker, he has been at the club since he was 11 years old and at the ripe age of 25, he has every chance of eclipsing Alan Shearer’s record Premier League goal tally and thrusting his name alongside the best No.9’s to lace his boots in England. He must stay.
Since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, Korean sensation Son Heung-Min has gone from strength to strength in the white of Tottenham.
Throughout this campaign and especially in Kane’s recent absence, Korean sensation Son Heung-Min has proven his quality, almost single-handedly carrying the side into the last four and becoming the focal point in attack. He too, cannot be sold.
Dele Alli burst onto the scene in 2015 after signing from MK Dons as a teenager and has been a regular in both the Tottenham and England teams ever since.
In the past two seasons the Englishman has not quite made that jump into the ‘world class’ category, but at 23-years-old he still has plenty of growth and potential to fulfil, and he should stay in the side to see how far he can go.
That leaves Christian Eriksen as the remaining member of Pochettino’s star quartet. The Dane is now 27 years of age having joined from Ajax at 21, and has shown his quality on numerous occasions since arriving in the English capital.
On his day he is a superb player with an incredible range of passing and mesmeric technique, but this season and in years previous he has battled inconsistency and been drowned out by his better performing teammates.
If Spurs could bring in between 80 and 100 million pounds for the sale of Eriksen, who could definitely fit in at another big club, that could set them on their way to breaking the trophy drought.
The club experimented with not buying anyone in the summer, it didn’t work, and now more than ever it is time for Daniel Levy to delve into his pockets and provide the money that Pochettino needs to build a world class team.
The likes of Kane and Son are enough to win games, yes. But Eric Dier, Ben Davies and aging defenders in Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will not win titles, nor will Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen coming off the bench.
One hundred million from the sale of Eriksen, and a further £100-150million from ownership going into the very able hands of Pochettino could set Tottenham on the right path.
Four, five, maybe even six signings could turn Tottenham from a team challenging for a place in the top four to a team right in the mix in the title race.
Star quality in midfield and defence with added strength in depth will compliment the quality’s of their attacking players and provide stability and dependability for an entire 50 game season.
It is time to move on for the sake of the rest of the team and for the sake of breeding success in the coming years. Now is the time for Tottenham to start winning, and it must start with a rebuild of the squad and the sale of a star player to make it possible.
